Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Wangari, our IECM cow, has some exciting news. Yesterday,
she was inseminated by sperm from a Fresian bull named Thunder. Currently,
Wangari is our only cow and she is producing about 12 liters of milk a day for
the children on the malnutrition ward. It is our hope that two cows can provide
for the daily needs of the children on the ward (around 40 liters of milk).
When the calf is born in about nine months, the milk production of Wangari will
increase. Her calf will stay with us and looked after by our herdsman until the
age of one, when it will be sold. Rearing a calf until age one can fetch the
best price, but is also a risk as calves are more susceptible to illness in the
first year.

The hope for sustaining the cow program is to maintain two
cows and two calves. Money raised from the sale of the calves will be invested
back into the program to pay for vet fees, herdsman’s salary, and other miscellaneous
expenses. Maintaining cows to produce enough milk for the needs of the
pediatric ward have been challenging. Currently, our pasture is being shared
with cows from a local convent and the grazing space is not enough for all of
the cows and calves. The diet of our cows has been supplemented with matooke
and banana leaves. However, the nutritional value is not enough. An imminent
solution to increasing the food supply for our cows is essential, especially
with a new calf on the way!